Winter’s grip will send the bulk of your garden right into hibernation mode, and some plants might not even make it through especially frosty temps. Still, there are hardy perennials that refuse to bow out no matter how low the temps drop. These resilient varieties take the cold in stride, adding life and color when the rest of the garden has gone quiet.
If you’re trying to keep your landscape looking lively through the winter, consider planting these winter-proof perennials that bloom beautifully in the colder months.
Hellebores
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Aptly known as the Christmas rose, this zone 3-8 perennial shows off with a spectrum of pinks, purples, yellows, and white throughout the winter season. What’s also cool about this plant is that it sows itself, notes Courtney Sixx, gardening expert and founder of Bouquet Box.
While they are a bit slow to establish—usually taking a few years to really settle in— they’ll eventually self-seed modestly and form small colonies. Sixx adds, “Their cut flowers make a beautiful bouquet, and when not blooming, their leaves are beautiful and green.”
Giant Snowdrop
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This perennial grows from bulbs, reaching about six to 12 inches tall with large white flowers that dazzle from late January through April, Sixx says, “This plant brings brightness and cheer to a winter garden.”
It does best in zones 3-8, preferring partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. True to their name, they’re one of the first flowers to bloom every year, often pushing their heads through the snow and offering up a light honey fragrance.
Wave Pansies
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Wave pansies are a zone 5-9 hardy perennial that, if planted or used as décor this fall, will absolutely take on the frost and still bloom if temperatures get down to the 20s and 30s.
“If it’s a harder frost or a prolonged winter in the north, the pansies will go dormant and experience some purpling in its foliage,” notes Katie Rotella, gardening expert at Ball Horticultural Company. “But then, once the temperatures rise again, the colorful flowers will bounce back and the gardener will have effortless blooms in the early spring.”
Winter Jasmine
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This semi-evergreen perennial shrub gets its name because it dutifully blossoms in midwinter. It sends out a splash of yellow flowers January through March, often even before its leaves appear.
Winter jasmine does best in zones 6–10 and is a low-maintenance plant that’s perfect for cascading over walls or fences. Unlike true jasmine, the flowers aren’t strongly scented. However, those sunny blooms against gray skies more than make up for it.
Speedwell
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This is a type of perennial ground cover that’ll need to be cut back annually to maintain, though it’s arguably still easier than grass. It grows in zones 6-9, and is a beautiful plant in the springtime.
Sixx says that in the winter, the leaves begin turning a stunning shade of purple-red, offering visual interest even in the deepest months of winter. Over time it fills in beautifully, creating a dense, low-maintenance carpet of color. (Just be sure it has well-draining soil and partial sun to truly thrive.)
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